Opulent NY homes at dawn of 20th century

I could feel the woman’s eyes on me as I flipped through the book of black and white photographs. Without even seeing her face, I knew what she was thinking.

I was taking my time going through the book and she could tell that I was liking it a lot more than she wished. It was a book of the interiors of New York homes at the turn of the 20th century. She wanted that book and was afraid that I would, too – seeing in her mind the $5 she had hoped to pay for it toppled by my higher bid.

Drawing room in the parlor of Mrs. Leoni (1894).

In fact, I liked what I saw, even though I found the photos of opulence-beyond-need a little disconcerting. While these folks in their fancy apartments were living the life, others were barely existing. The over-the-top furnishings bordered on gluttony – but I couldn’t put the book down.

It was titled “Photographs of New York Interiors at the Turn of the Century” and contained the works of Joseph Byron, the premier photographer of the city at that time – “our Vesuvius,” preserving “the setting of a vanished race,” as described in the book. A paperback coffee-table book, it included photos from the Byron Collection of the Museum of the City of New York, and was published in 1976.

The 131 photos showed lavishly decorated rooms – of Edwardian and Victorian designs, according to the introduction – in homes of the upper crust, along with the insides of some of the establishments that mimicked their lifestyles. The publishers also included one slum apartment.

At left, bedroom in the home of Mrs. Hughes (1899), and bedroom in the C.A. Mackay home, Roslyn, L.I. (1905).

The pictures cover the years between the Chicago World’s Fairin 1893 and the beginning of World War I in 1914. The museum has a collectionof 22,000 photos of New York City and its surroundings shot by the Byron Company, which included Joseph Byron and his son Percy, from 1890 to 1942.

“Because the cultural domain was expansive, and this was, after all, cosmopolitan New York, the interiors shown represent the taste of the nation at large and the style trend of most of the civilized world,” according to the book’s introduction, which over 14 pages discussed the history of design, along with the style of the interiors and tastes of the owners.

The interiors in the book included at least two millionaires’ surnames that I actually recognized: the Astors and the Vanderbilts. But Joseph Byron’s camera was very eclectic: his clients also included such people as Mark Twain, and actresses Ethel Barrymore and Sarah Bernhardt.

Auto show in the ballroom of the Hotel Astor, Broadway at 44th Street (1914).

Joseph Byron came from a family of photographers in England, leaving the country in 1888 to set up a studio in Manhattan, according to the introduction. He soon got commissions to chronicle urban life in the city, an assignment that put him in touch with not only its high society but its down-under.

He also shot theater subjects and important buildings, ocean liners and soda fountains, car shows and Easter parades, “Little Italy” tenements in Harlem and pushcarts on the Lower East Side, according to the book.

The stars of the book, though, were the “millionaires’ palaces on Fifth Avenue” and other tony locations. I found most of the rooms too crowded, with much too much furniture, heavy drapery and dark spaces that shut out most of the light. Even so, they were still mesmerizing for anyone who appreciated design.

Drawing room in the William Collins Whitney House, 871 Fifth Ave. at 68th Street (1899). The house was out of the family’s possession four about six years until the son bought it in 1910 and spent $3 million on furnishings. The contents were auctioned after he died in 1942, producing one tenth of what he paid for them.

Standing there, looking through the book at the auction house, I made up my mind that I would bid on it. It had been placed among others in one of several boxes of disparate books on a table. I did not want any of the others so I pulled it out for a separate bid. That didn’t sit well with the woman who was watching me. She chided me for removing the book from the lot, apparently forgetting that this auction house encouraged what’s called a “pull.”

So, we both bidded on the book and when it became clear that I wasn’t about to back down, she gave up. The book was mine. And I’m glad I got it because the photos are remarkable. What do you think?

At left, kitchen in home of Mrs. Theodore Sutro, 320 West 102nd St. (1899), and kitchen in the home of Mrs. F.L. Loring, 811 Fifth Ave. (1899). The latter hotel-size kitchen had its own chef and staff, and an intercom phone on the wall.

Music room in the Joseph M. Weber house, 136 Madison Ave. (1904). Weber was part of the comedy team Weber and Fields. This photo is the cover of the book.

At left, bathroom in the home of Mrs. Helen Terry Potter, New Rochelle (1909), and bathroom in the home of New York art dealer Edward Brandus, 16 W. 88th St. (1902). Byron never showed the water closet (or toilet) in his photos, according to the book.

Drawing room in Mrs. Hughes’ home (1899).

Slum dwelling (1896). At right, a little black boy appears to be tending the fire in a heater or stove.

Bachelor apartment of Mr. Fox, the tailor (1903-1904).

At left, a soda fountain in a Hegeman and Company drugstore (1907), and a staircase in the Vanderbilt Pavilion of St. Luke’s Hospital, Amsterdam Avenue at 114th Street (1899).

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Our houses are filled with memorabilia and artifacts that are part of our family's history and legacy. But far too often we don't know what we have or assume it's worth very little or nothing.

What valuable items are in your home or a family member's home?

I can show you what to look for, how to research its market value online, how to get it appraised by a licensed appraiser, and whether to keep it, donate it or sell it.

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About Sherry Howard

I started going to auctions to fuel my love for African American art – but at a bargain. I love the old masters: Lois Mailou Jones, Jacob Lawrence, Hughie Lee-Smith. I wanted to find their works and discover other veteran artists whose works may have been hiding in an attic or basement, and forgotten.

I’m a journalist by profession: I was a newspaper reporter and editor. Now, I’m taking what I did as a journalist – peeling back the covers of people’s lives and writing about what I found – and applying it to auctions. And I’m loving it.

Visit me often to see what I come up with. I would also like to share stories and photos of what you find and your collections. Click my Contact page.

What is my stuff worth?

Here are some tips for things you can do on your own to help determine what your items are worth:

First, try the web. Search for items similar to yours.
Go to the library or browse at a bookstore. Look through price and collector's guides pertaining to your item.
Get a free or reduced-price appraisal. Find local auction houses in your town and check their websites to see if they offer these quick appraisals. You can find auction houses near you via auctionzip.com.Pay for a real appraisal. This could be your last step or your first step (if you have an item that you already know is valuable).

You can get more detailed information on each of these tips in my blog post on the subject.